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Friday, September 9, 2016

Spotlight: The Moreva of Astoreth, by Roxanne Bland

Blurb

In the world-building tradition of Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey and Ursula K. LeGuin, The Moreva of Astoreth is a blend of science fiction, romance, and adventure in a unique, richly imagined imperialistic society in which gods and science are indelibly intertwined. It is the story of the priestess, scientist, and healer Moreva Tehi, the spoiled, headstrong granddaughter of a powerful deity who is banished for a year to a volatile far corner of the planet for neglecting to perform her sacred duty, only to venture into dangerous realms of banned experimentation, spiritual rebirth, and fervent, forbidden love.

I've been a fugitive from reality since forever. As a child, I constantly made up stories--some would call them lies--about my family, friends, neighbors and even strangers on the street. I had friends that only I could see. Oh, the adventures we had!

Learning to read was a revelation. Words fascinated me. Whole new worlds opened up, and since my parents forbade nothing, I read everything. Some of it I didn't quite understand, but I didn't mind. I read it anyway. I even read the dictionary. When I was a little older, I was big on mysteries--English cozy mysteries, that is, Agatha Christie, were my favorites. Then I graduated to horror. Whenever a new book came out by Stephen King, Peter Straub or Dean Koontz, I was first in line. I was reading a little science fiction at this time--Robert Heinlein and authors like him--but I really didn't get into it until I was in college. The same with fantasy. I really got into high fantasy--Lord of the Rings style--in college.

During this time I was still making up stories, but not writing them down. They were private. Besides, I thought my family and friends would laugh at me. In fact, the only story I recall writing was one that won a contest when I was in elementary school.

So anyway, life goes on. I went to law school. After I graduated and entered the workforce, I finally started writing down my stories. I wrote a bit here and there, short stories that never saw the light of day (which was probably a good thing). Then I fell ill. I had the flu for a month. Bored out of my skull, I started writing a piece of fan fiction, though I didn't know that's what it was at the time. I showed it to a friend of mine who suggested I finish the story.

Well, that piece of fan fiction fell by the wayside, but in its place came a manuscript that would eventually become my first book, The Underground. I absolutely adored writing it. I absolutely adore writing, period. Slipping into that alternate reality for hours on end, there was a time in my life when it was called daydreaming and I got into trouble for it. Now it's legitimate. And that's the best part of all.

“I could
have you executed for this, Moreva Tehi,” Astoreth said. My Devi grandmother,
the Goddess of Love, scowled at me from Her golden throne in the massive Great
Hall of Her equally massive Temple.

Sitting on my heels, I
bowed my head and stared at the black and gold polished floor, trying to ignore
the trickle of sweat snaking its way down my spine. “Yes, Most Holy One.”

“You blaspheme by not
celebrating Ohra, My holiest of rites. And this one was important—the worthiest
of the hakoi, handpicked by Me, celebrated with us. ”

“I can only offer my
most abject apologies, Most Holy One.”

“Your apologies are
not accepted.”

“Yes, Most Holy One.”

“Where were you?”

“I was in the laboratory,
working on a cure for red fever. Many hakoi died last winter—”

“I know that,” my
grandmother snapped. “But why did you miss Ohra? Did you not hear the bells?”

“Yes, Most Holy One. I
heard them. I was about to lay aside my work when I noticed an anomaly in one
of my pareon solutions. It was odd, so I decided to investigate. What I found…I
just lost track of time.”

A moment later, my
head and hearts started to throb. I knew why. My grandmother was probing me for
signs I had lied. But She wouldn’t find any. There was no point in lying to
Astoreth, and it was dangerous, too. Swaying under the onslaught from Her power,
I endured the pain without making a sound. After what seemed like forever the
throbbing subsided, leaving me feeling sick and dizzy.

“Very well,” She said.
“I accept what you say is true, but I still do not accept your apology.”

“Yes, Most Holy One.”
I tried not to pant.

A minute passed in
uncomfortable silence. Uncomfortable for me, anyway. Another minute passed. And
another. Just when I thought maybe She was finished with me, Astoreth spoke.
“What do you have against the hakoi, Moreva?”

The change of subject
confused me. “What do you mean, Most Holy One?”

“I’ve watched you,
Moreva. You give them no respect. You heal them because you must, but you treat
them little better than animals. Why is that?”

The trickle of sweat
reached the small of my back and pooled there. “But my work—”

“Your work is a game
between you and the red fever. It has nothing to do with My hakoi.”

I didn’t answer right
away. In truth, I despised Her hakoi. They were docile enough—the Devi’s
breeding program saw to that—but most were slow-witted, not unlike the pirsu
the Temple raised for meat and hide. They stank of makira, the pungent cabbage
that was their dietary staple. From what I’d seen traveling through Kherah to
Astoreth’s and other Gods’ Temples, all the hakoi were stupid and smelly, and I
wanted nothing to do with them.

I did not want my
grandmother to know what was in my hearts, so I chose my words carefully. “Most
Holy One, I treat Your hakoi the way I do because it is the hierarchy of life
as the Devi created it. You taught us the Great Pantheon of twelve Devi is
Supreme. The lesser Devi are beneath You, the morevs are beneath the lesser
gods, and Your hakoi are beneath the morevs. Beneath the hakoi are the plants
and animals of Peris. But sometimes Your hakoi forget their place and must be
reminded.” I held my breath, praying she wouldn’t probe me again.

Astoreth didn’t answer
at first. “A pretty explanation, Moreva. But My hakoi know their place. It is
you who do not know yours. You may be more Devi than morev but you are still
morev, born of hakoi blood. You are not too good to minister to the hakoi’s
needs, and you are certainly not too good to celebrate Ohra with them.”

I swallowed. “Yes, Most Holy One.”

“Look at me, Moreva.”

I raised my head. My
grandmother’s expression was fierce.

“And that is why you
let the time get away from you, as you say. You, Moreva Tehi, an acolyte of
Love, are a bigot. That is why you did not want to share your body with My
hakoi.” She leaned forward. “I have overlooked many of your transgressions
while in My service, but I cannot overlook your bigotry or your missing Ohra. I
will not execute you because you are too dear to My heart. The stewardship for
Astoreth-

69 in the Syren
Perritory ends this marun on eighth day. You will take the next rotation.”

My hearts froze. This
was my punishment? Getting exiled to Syren? From what I’d heard from morevs
serving in Astoreth’s other Temples, the Syren Perritory in Peris’s far
northern hemisphere was the worst place in the world to steward a landing
beacon. Cold and dark, with dense woods full of wild animals, the Syren was no
place for me. My place was Kherah, a sunny desert south of the planet’s
equator, where the fauna were kept in special habitats for learning and
entertainment. As for the Syrenese, they were the product of one of the Devi’s
earliest and failed experimental breeding programs, and were as untamed as the
perritory in which they lived.

But I knew better than
to protest. Astoreth’s word was law, and it had just come down on my head.
“Yes, Most Holy One,” I said, my voice meek.

“Mehmed will come to
your rooms after lunch tomorrow so you can be fitted for your uniform.”

“My uniform, Most Holy
One? I will not be taking my clothes?”

“No. As overseer of
the landing beacon, you are the liaison between the Mjor village as well as the
commander of the garrison. Your subordinate, Kepten Yose, will report to you
once a marun, and you are to relay the garrison’s needs to Laerd Teger, the
Mjoran village chief.”

“Yes, Most Holy One.”

“I will make allowance
for your healer’s kit and a portable laboratory, but you are not to take your
work on red fever. I am sure you have other projects you can work on while you
are there.”

“But—”

“No, Moreva. It is too
dangerous.”

“I can take precautions—”

“No. That is My final
word.” Astoreth leaned back in Her chair. Her eyes narrowed. “One more thing.
You will be the only morev in Mjor, but that will not prevent you from
observing Ohra. And you will do so with the garrison stationed there. Go now.”

I stood on shaky legs,
bowed, and backed out of the Great Hall. Once in the corridor, I turned and
fled to my quarters. I threw myself on the bed and sobbed. It was bad enough to
be exiled to the Syren Perritory, but Ohra with the garrison? Only the hakoi
served in Astoreth’s military. I felt dirty already. And not allowing me to
work on my red fever project was punishment in itself.

A few minutes later I
felt a hand on my shoulder. “Tehi, what’s wrong?” a worried voice said. It was
Moreva Jaleta, one of my friendlier morev sisters.

“I-I’m being sent to
the Syren Perritory to steward Astoreth-69,” I wailed.

Jaleta sat on the bed.
“But why?”

I sat up. “I missed
the last Ohra and n-now Astoreth is punishing me.”

Jaleta gave me an
unsympathetic look. “You’re lucky she didn’t have your head. Be thankful you’re
Her favorite.”

I sniffed but said
nothing.

Jaleta patted me on
the shoulder. “It won’t be so bad, Tehi. The year will be over before you know
it. Come on, it’s time to eat.”